Bit of help required writing a c.v

[Knoxville]

I've been looking for work for the last couple of weeks now and I need to write myself out a decent c.v, its here that I came to a stumbling block, I havn't written a c.v since high school

Anyone here able to help me out? Where do I start? what do I need to include (bar the obvious grades from school and whatnot)? anywhere online where i can view an example/plan of one?

[XA04]

Tons of examples;

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=exa...utf-8&oe=utf-8


Generally you want history on your education, work experience, previous jobs, hobbies, etc. Just anything positive about your history you can fit in there, and it shouldn't really be any longer than 2 pages.

[Auran]

The type of CV you ned to write is dependant upon the type of job you are applying for, but the most common is the job history format. Unilever were daft enough to send me on a course - primarily to be able to look at a CV and guage more about the applicant. However, it also included a lot of info on "how to" write a CV - do's and don'ts etc.

If you want I'll send you a copy of my CV to get you started as an example, then once you've got a first draft send it to me and I'll make a few suggestions.

It is difficult to give a complete list of do's and don'ts etc. without using meaningful examples, as a lot of the skill in writing a CV comes down to how you write it. As an illustration, the last person I updated a CV for went from getting no interviews to one for every application All I did was rephrase what was already there and improved the layout very slightly.

[Howard]

Keep it short and to the point. Don't waffle on in bloody great sentences. The reader will get bored and throw it to one side. Write the most important info, such as your skills, abilities and necessary grades at the top. It's what they'll read first.

[Knoxville]

Cheers guys, Auran, might take you up on your offer when I've got one written out

[[DW]Cougho]

The biggest thing i always got drummed into me with a CV was for it to be no longer than a page.

You can waffle on at the interview if you so choose.

[Dav0s]

no longer than a page and format it so it is easy to read, but stands out.

i also tend to use my name as a header, so it stands out more than just writing Curiculum Vitae like some people do

[DeathByDuke]

Keep your C.V. brief, and to two pages, dont bother listing your hobbies. The employer will want to scan through it quickly, and not take a while reading it. Make sure they will notice the key points quickly and noticeably. Alter each C.V. to advertise whats relevant to the job youre applying for, and of course keep it up to date. That method has gotten me a lot of interviews, and now a job. So good luck!

[ajbrun]

no longer than a page and format it so it is easy to read, but stands out.

i also tend to use my name as a header, so it stands out more than just writing Curiculum Vitae like some people do

I was always told no longer than 2 pages...

[Blackspeech]

Definately no longer than two pages, where this can be helped (it usually can)

CV's are easy to get wrong - but rewarding when done well.

Layout is important

Name
DOB
Address
Email
Mobile Tel



Current position/ date to present
What you have delivered in this position. Use action words, such as delivered, managed, enabled etc.

It is important that the employer knows what he/she is going to get for their money. So, what benefits did you realise while in your current position.

Previous positions and what you delivered (key points keep it short)

This is what sells you, the CV must get you through the door.

Your key skills should be relevant to the position and add value.

Qualifications (apart from technical based ones) are important because they show application and an ability to learn. Degrees in particular show this.

Professional qualifications.

General Skills: IT Literate (Advanced etc)

Your hobbies are important and they demonstrate the type of person you are. If you put reading, running, computer programming, writing. They suggest intelligence and fitness, however they also suggest that you do may not work well in team situations or don't like teams. However if you said 'local sunday league football team coach' that would imply managerial skills, team player, respected.

Also, don't PAY for someone to evaluate your CV.

Hope this is helpful - some you may already know so apologies where that is the case.

[RedPutty]

There are so many pieces of advice out there on CVs, especially as conventions differ quite widely. I will tell you what my format is and I haven't really had any problem getting interviews (good interview skills are really important too!).

I set out my cv to ensure my skills and experience are easily seen at a glance, especially skills as nobody wants to have to read through paragraphs to find out if you have any clue about whatever it is you'll need to know for the job.

So I have e.g:

name,address etc at top

bulleted list of skills e.g *Java *C# *SQL *CVS

work experience most recent first. State your role, time there.Write a line about your responsibilities and then a few lines about what you achieved. Choose examples that are relevant for the actual job you are applying for.

academic stuff next

finally a paragraph about me in a fairly casual language. I call it "personal information" or somesuch. e.g: "I like to work with ponies and enjoy reading. As a member of the local debating society I enjoy practising my debating skills and find this skill helps me at work too"

When listing any personal stuff make it relate to job skills (as blackspeech has done)

As others also suggest - no more than two sides of A4 when printed.

Obviously you should adjust the format based on yourself and experience, e.g if you are a professor or don't have much work experience you might want to place academic qualifications higher :-)

[Marcos]

The type of CV you ned to write is dependant upon the type of job you are applying for, but the most common is the job history format. Unilever were daft enough to send me on a course - primarily to be able to look at a CV and guage more about the applicant. However, it also included a lot of info on "how to" write a CV - do's and don'ts etc.

If you want I'll send you a copy of my CV to get you started as an example, then once you've got a first draft send it to me and I'll make a few suggestions.

It is difficult to give a complete list of do's and don'ts etc. without using meaningful examples, as a lot of the skill in writing a CV comes down to how you write it. As an illustration, the last person I updated a CV for went from getting no interviews to one for every application All I did was rephrase what was already there and improved the layout very slightly.

Can you post a good example of a CV?